Pun intended. Aside from being an affirmation that I happen to like…my homeschool needs rules. Like any learning environment, chaos disturbs the peace.
So I had a pre-year pep talk with the kids the other day to let them know I am excited about our second homeschool year as well as to make them aware of behaviors I’ve observed over the past year that were hindering our fun and the learning process. At the end of our discussion I had them list some rules for our new year. They are 5,6,and 7 respectively and the list above is what they came with. I nudged them in the right direction for a few.
These rules are in no way an attempt to mimic the formality of traditional school. They were just what I saw as necessary as I observed things during our first year. I’ll go over them one by one.
1. Raise your hand
After being called a zillion times while trying to get through a one-on-one lesson with another child, this was a no brainer. It prevents me from losing it in addition to teaching them patience (see #5).
2. Listen
It’s important to listen. Whether it’s during Bible time at the start of the day, instructions throughout the day, or a YouTube lesson we may watch, listening is key. Repeating instructions 3 and 4 times because someone isn’t listening is draining. If they genuinely don’t understand, that is something else. But if you were playing with your pencil while I was explaining the assignment then this rule is for you. This goes hand in hand with the next rule.
3. Pay Attention
Pretty self explanatory. But in addition to listening it also goes for spatial awareness. If they can avoid accidentally knocking over someone’s cup or stepping on eachother it minimizes tensions for them and causes less frustration for me.
4. Don’t Leave Without Permission
I can’t have people wandering off during a lesson. It distracts the other children and throws me off. This goes for snack and lunch time too. Sit, talk, chat, joke, giggle or socialize but don’t leave the table. This rule is really to reinforce communication more than rigidity. I need to know why you’re getting up. I need to know you are done with your food. That’s all.
5. Be Patient
I get it. Everyone wants to be first. I realize my oldest usually wants to speak first because if he waits he’ll forget what he wanted to say. I’m homeschooling 3 school aged children and we have a baby. I need them to have patience because I’m running out!!! I’m kidding. But sometimes they’re done with a lesson and want to move on or sometimes they want to get to something they consider more fun. Either way, they have to wait until the appointed time.
6. Ask For Help When You’re Stuck
This is a big one. It tends to happen during independent work time for one child while I’m doing one-on-one time with another. Inevitably I’ll look over at the independent worker and they’re just staring off not working. When I ask what’s going on I get “I need help.” So…this rule.
7. Respect One Another
They are siblings and it’s a given that at times they get on each other’s nerves. Sometimes their replies to one another need to be softened. A sharp “no!” turned into “No thank you”, or a “Leave me alone!” to a “I don’t want to play right now”. The idea is not to diminish or mistreat eachother even if they’re upset.
8. Wait Your Turn Speak
It’s just good manners. Some adults need this rule posted somewhere. No one wants to be interrupted mid-sentence. It’s dismissive and annoying. But back to the kids, this rules overlaps with #5 and #7.
9. Start With A Positive Attiutude
Mindset is important. How we approach our day sets the tone. Over the past year there were times when I’d be excited about a lesson I’d cooked up only to be immediately met with a fight. For no good reason. Lack of enthusiasm, not listening therefore not understanding therfore misinterpreting what I said and being upset for no reason. And after getting that student (usually one) back on board, my energy/excitement dropped by half. And meanwhile the other two children are being robbed of their time and joy at the same time. Our days were much more fun when we ALL started with a positive attitude.
10. Always Encourage Each Other
Because everyone is a different age their skill sets are varied, which sometimes leads to someone making a comment about the how “hard” or “easy” someone else’s work is. Neither is helpful. So I encourage them to encourage each other. So they cheer each other along and sometimes in unison. It’s most useful if someone is stuck, frustrated and wants to give up.
So there you have it, Our School Rules. I could definitely add about 20 more myself but these cover the vitals. Please feel free to share any rules you have or insight into ours in the comments below.
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